THE GREAT GOSPEL OF JOHN
VOLUME 5
Jesus' Precepts and Deeds through His Three Years of Teaching
Jesus in the region of Caesarea Philippi. (cont.) Gospel of Matthew, Chapter 16
- Chapter 20 -
Roklus visits the miraculous building.
Thereupon the twelve gladly hurry into the garden and look with the greatest amazement at everything it contains, and Mark himself leads them into the house where they peer at everything most astonished. But Mark tells them as little as Cyrenius did, despite all their polite questioning; through My spirit I had given Cyrenius what he had to say, as I had to Mathael before that, and thus the avenue was opened to convert to the truth of the spirit these notorious fogies, who after half an hour come back to us full of curiosity together with Mark.
2
When Mark came to My table with the twelve deputies and with Raphael, who had shown him the purpose of everything that was in the house, Raphael secretly said to him, "This time spare a great verbal praise to the Lord, who hears it from your heart anyway; it is now a matter of possibly converting to the Lord these twelve Caesareans, who actually do not have any belief, but are pure atheists from Epicure's fine school, who is one of the main founders of the beloved Essenian committee.
3
These are six Greeks and six Jews who hold the same views and secretly belong to the order of the beloved Essenians. In short, these are twelve fellows that will not be easy to bargain with. They are very rich and own immeasurable worldly treasures and for this reason they speak with the governor so lightly as if they were his equals.
4
It will be difficult to convert them! But if we will succeed to lead them to the truth - not so much through some remarkable miracles, but more through words - a lot will be won because every one of these twelve is a lord over more than a hundred thousand people.
5
The Lord may not be revealed to them for the time being. Cyrenius will remain the central point, and after him, if need be, it will be your turn; only if it goes well, will it be my turn and the Lord Himself only in the end! Just stay here now because this will turn into a major chase! But silence now!
6
Cyrenius asks Roklus, "Well, how did you like my miraculous construction? Could you do something similar?"
7
Roklus says, "Stop it with the miraculous construction as if coming from your hand! You are a powerful lord, lord, lord through the great number of your soldiers and their sharp swords; but you did not build the house, the garden, the harbor, and the large ships more than we did!"
8
You could have built them with many construction workers in 5-10 years; I accept that because the power of the sword and money is great in this world. One of your very famous poets, whom I have read, says about people, "Nothing is too high for the daring of mortals: we would storm heaven itself in our folly!' (Horace) And it is like that with man, this naked worm of the dust! If he is given means, power, and time he will soon start to move mountains, dry up seas and lakes, and give rivers a new course! All this together is therefore no miracle, but a completely natural action of people uniting their power towards one and the same goal.
9
But the house here, the garden and its luxuriant culture, its enclosing and protecting wall, which stands there as if cast and looks like it is made of one piece of marble, the big and high harbor wall which here and there may have a depth of 10-20 times head-high, and the five large flagships with lots of cordage! My otherwise wise and powerful ruler, foolhardy mankind does not conjure all this in a moment like the Persian magician's 'Wishing-table', as was the case here and is and will continue to be; this is no mirage resulting from empty and insubstantial air formations, but the most solid truth which anyone will sense, should they feel like running head first into these walls.
10
With all the hundreds of magicians I have seen, I have never seen that any of their works endured. Something happens that one does not know how and by what means and every time something comes into sight; but soon it vanishes like a bubble on the water and once it is gone no magician will bring it back into existence! I want to see the magician who could blow away these works just like that! I will wager my entire fortune without further ado that you would never succeed to blow away all this just with a dash!"